Economic And Social Impacts Of Terrorism: A Case Study Of Eastleigh In Nairobi County

Abstract

Since the 1998 attack, Kenya has continued to witness more terrorist attacks and the problem has been compounded further following its incursion into Somalia in October 2011. Kenya’s military presence in Somalia has seen it became a soft target for revenge attacks by insurgency groups like Al-shabaab with the effects being felt in the economic, social, political and religious facets of the affected parts of the country. Among the most affected regions in the country are Garissa, Mandera, Mombasa, Eastleigh and Lamu. This study sought to assess the economic and social impacts of terrorism in Eastleigh within Nairobi County. The study’s focus on Eastleigh was informed by the numerous terrorist attacks perpetrated in the area since December 2011 and the fact that it is an economic hub within Nairobi. The study was guided by two objectives; exploring the effect(s) of terrorism on trading activities in Eastleigh and finding out the impact of terrorism on social interactions among Eastleigh residents. The study findings in terms of economy were; there was a reduction in investment opportunities as some business people closed shop and relocated to other areas in Nairobi, employment levels declined particularly employment of casual laborers who opted to move to neighboring markets such as Gikomba and Kariokor, the cost of living rose due to an increase in the price of basic commodities and operational costs for businesses augmented because business people were forced to boost security procedures to protect their property and customers. Socially, the respondents stated they had adjusted their lifestyles with some stating they had reduced visits to social places such as pubs, shopping malls and restaurants and others stated they knew of people who had relocated to other areas in Nairobi. In terms of attendance of religious functions, immediately after an attack there was a decline in attendance of church/mosque services by faithfuls but after a few weeks the numbers picked up and services resumed normalcy. The study was qualitative in nature and data was drawn from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data was gathered using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews with its main tool of data collection being an interview guide. The study had two FDGs and four in-depth interviews and data was analyzed using thematic analysis.